Tax Evasion Lawyers in Lake Worth

"Tax Evasion" refers to the crime of deliberately failing to pay one's taxes, as required by Florida law.

Most often, people who try to evade their taxes in Lake Worth, Florida will take steps to conceal their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

You should not confuse "tax evasion" with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is illegal, and involves deliberately failing to pay one's taxes which they lawfully owe. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is legal, and involves utilizing legal strategies to lower one's legal tax liability. For example, strategically using deductions and tax credits to lower the amount of money you are legally obliged to pay, is an example of tax avoidance, assuming you actually pay your tax bill, whatever it ends up being.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Lake Worth, Florida

Under the laws of Florida, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very significant criminal offense.

In Lake Worth, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

In the majority of tax evasion cases, however, the punishments are not so severe. This is particularly likely in first offenses, when the amount of money involved is fairly small. Minor punishments for tax evasion typically mean a small fine, on top of an order to pay whatever taxes the taxpayer owes. A minor punishment is most likely when the government has trouble proving that fraud was involved, as opposed to an honest accounting error.

On the other hand, if the prosecution can prove that a Lake Worth, Florida taxpayer engaged in fraud, and knowingly failed to pay their taxes, a tax court will probably impose the most grave punishment that's allowed by law. This can easily involve jail time.

A Lake Worth, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Lake Worth, Florida specializing in tax law can help you adhere with all the tax laws that apply to you, which makes it very unlikely that you'll ever be accused of tax evasion in the first place.

However, if you're actually accused of tax evasion, you will need a Lake Worth, Florida tax attorney more than ever. If you are, in fact, innocent, a tax attorney can give you the best possible chance of being found not guilty.